. >>> the host right now is anderson cooper, "360." >>> new allegations that the top members of the bush administration tried to use the fear of terrorism for politics to win a close presidential electi election. what makes the allegation so stunning is that they're being made by a former top member of the bush administration. none other than tom ridge, then secretary of homeland security. he resigned just after the 2004 election. that decision he now says motivated in part by what he says happened four days before americans narrowly re-elected george w. bush against john kerry. a cabinet meeting at which he says other top officials pressed him to raise the nation's color coded alert level. he writes about it in a new moment other out next month, obtained tonight by "360." ed henry has the breaking news. >> reporter: two or three points separated john kerry from president bush. suddenly, a twist. osama bin laden released a shocking new videotape. and it played nonstop on the arab language network al jazeera. >> translator: your security is not in the hands of kerry or bush or al qaeda. y